Review: The Radleys

The Radleys by Matt Haig
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The Radleys are an everyday family who juggle dysfunctional lives. Except, as Peter and Helen Radley know but their children have yet to find out, the Radleys happen to be a family of abstaining vampires. When one night Clara finds herself driven to commit a bloodthirsty act, her parents decide to explain a few things.

I always like Matt Haig's writing, but this one was just not my cup of tea.

Review: Wildflower

Wildflower by Monique Mulligan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Beautifully written story on the topic of domestic abuse. Jane Kelly is bullied and a very lonely girl until Acacia moves into the house next door. They become fast friends but things are happening in Acacia's home.

It was hard to put this book down even though you were worried about what was going to happen next. Interwoven between 1979-80 and current times.

This is a very important book with a very important message for women.

Review: Have a Nice Guilt Trip

Have a Nice Guilt Trip by Lisa Scottoline
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella are back with another collection of warm and witty stories that will strike a chord with every woman. This four book series is among the best reviewed humor books published today and has been compared to the late greats, Erma Bombeck and Nora Ephron. Booklist raved of the third book in the series, Meet Me At Emotional Baggage Claim, "readers can count on an ab-toning laugh session, a silly giggle, a sympathetic sigh, and a lump in the throat as life's moments are rehashed through the keen eyes and wits of this lovable mother-daughter duo." This fourth volume, Have a Nice Guilt Trip, maintains the same sterling standard of humor and poignancy as Lisa and Francesca continue on the road of life acquiring men and puppies. Ok, to be honest, Lisa is acquiring the puppies, while Francesca is lucky enough to have dates with actual men. They leave it to the listeners to decide which is more desirable and/or or easier to train.

Review: Meet Me at Emotional Baggage Claim (

Meet Me at Emotional Baggage Claim ( by Lisa Scottoline
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


From the best-selling mother/daughter writing duo comes another hilarious collection of essays about motherhood, daughterhood, womanhood, and "does this hood look good on me?"

Love and tomato sauce are thick in the Scottoline/Serritella household, and Lisa and Francesca’s mother-daughter-turned-best-friends bond will strike a familiar note to many. But now that Lisa is a suburban empty-nester and Francesca is an independent 20-something in the big city, they have to learn how to stay close while living apart. How does a mother’s love translate across state lines and over any semblance of personal boundaries?

You’ll laugh out loud as they face off over the proper technique for packing dishes, the importance of bringing a coat in the summertime, and the do's and don’ts of dating at any age. Add feisty octogenarian Mother Mary to the mix, and you have a Molotov cocktail of estrogen, opinions, and fun.

Booklist raved that Best Friends, Occasional Enemies was "one big gabfest with your best girlfriends, whatever their age," and now, in Meet Me at the Emotional Baggage Claim, the mother-daughter duo of Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella continue the conversation with more hilarious and honest tales of life inside an ordinary, extraordinary family. These stories will make you laugh, cry, and call your mother, daughter, and all your girlfriends.

A lovely, entertaining read. Made me miss my mom.

Review: These Tangled Vines

These Tangled Vines by Julianne MacLean
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If Fiona has learned anything in life, it’s how to keep a secret—even from the father who raised her. She is the only person who knows about her late mother’s affair in Tuscany thirty years earlier, and she intends to keep it that way…until a lawyer calls with shocking news: her biological father has died and left her an incredible inheritance—along with two half siblings.

Fiona travels to Italy, where the family is shocked to learn of her existence and desperate to contest her share of the will. While the mystery of her mother’s affair is slowly unraveled, Fiona must navigate through tricky family relationships and tense sibling rivalries. Fiona both fears and embraces her new destiny as she searches for the truth about the fateful summer her mother spent in Italy and the father she never knew.

Spilling over with the sumptuous flavors and romance of Tuscany, These Tangled Vines takes readers on a breathtaking journey of love, secrets, sacrifice, courage—and most importantly, the true meaning of family.

Review: Best Friends, Occasional Enemies: The Lighter Side of Life as a Mother and Daughter

Best Friends, Occasional Enemies: The Lighter Side of Life as a Mother and Daughter by Lisa Scottoline
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Just love these audio books by the mother/daughter Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella. So entertaining, so honest with lots of added humour.

Review: I See Life Through Rose-Colored Glasses: True Stories and Confessions

I See Life Through Rose-Colored Glasses: True Stories and Confessions by Lisa Scottoline
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lisa and daughter Francesca are such great writers, warm and humorous and a joy to read. This collection of stories are so human and gives us an insight into their lives in such a generous way.

Have read all of the series and now am planning on rereading them.

Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella’s delightful essays are sure to strike a chord with every woman. Their nine book series is among the best reviewed humor books published today, and has been compared to the late greats Erma Bombeck and Nora Ephron.

Can you hear me now --
Please put the lid down --
Trick question --
Do me a favor --
Christmas with the flying Scottolines --
Ad that stole Christmas --
Very Happy New Year --
Lost and found --
Happy birthday to me --
To boldly go 

Review: The Absolutist

The Absolutist by John Boyne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It is September 1919: twenty-one-year-old Tristan Sadler takes a train from London to Norwich to deliver a package of letters to the sister of Will Bancroft, the man he fought alongside during the Great War.

But the letters are not the real reason for Tristan's visit. He can no longer keep a secret and has finally found the courage to unburden himself of it. As Tristan recounts the horrific details of what to him became a senseless war, he also speaks of his friendship with Will - from their first meeting on the training grounds at Aldershot to their farewell in the trenches of northern France. The intensity of their bond brought Tristan happiness and self-discovery as well as confusion and unbearable pain.

The Absolutist is a masterful tale of passion, jealousy, heroism, and betrayal set in one of the most gruesome trenches of France during World War I. This novel will keep readers on the edge of their seats until its most extraordinary and unexpected conclusion, and will stay with them long after they've turned the last page. 

Have always enjoyed this writer's books. This was very emotional and private. Excellent read.

Review: How to Raise an Elephant

How to Raise an Elephant by Alexander McCall Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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